The nearness of you
by ArdillitaD
Summary: Regina thought her chance at happiness had been taken from her, her life had now become an ordinary mix of work and misery. But what happens when a fire, a little boy and his mother enter her life? Is Regina's happiness really gone or maybe fate has other plans...
1. Soulmates

**A big thank you to Erin! Her ideas were awesome and very helpful also for making every chapter of this fanfiction looks like I know English very well, which I totally don't :D You rock, girl!**

 _In your opinion what is the thing that people want_ _most_ _I am not talking about the thousands of things that_ _come_ _to a person's mind every time_ _they think_ _about what_ _they_ _need. No, I_ _am_ _not talking about new socks, lights for the bathroom_ _or a_ _new phone. Nor a new computer, or a holiday to another country… I am talking about that thing that everyone is trying to reach, even if they haven't realized it yet._

 _When you think about it, one pretty simple word could shade everything else… A word, for which you would give everything… just a word… Happiness._

Who would've thought that in a moment like this, surrounded by burning furniture and stifling smoke, Regina's mind will be filled with those kinds of thoughts. Maybe it was true what people said, that when a person is face to face with death, their whole life passes in front of their eyes. They remember all of the things they didn't do, all of the wasted possibilities and the good moments with the people they loved.

Actually in Regina's thoughts, next to the word happiness, was hanging one name in particular – Daniel. Well, she definitely hadn't imagined death like this, to be burned alive in her own apartment. How ironic, a few hours before, in her closing speech, she had mentioned Joan of Arc and now her body was going to feel a similar agony. But maybe, the smoke was going to choke her before the flames got the chance to caress her. Actually it didn't matter how was she going to get to the end, what did matter was that soon she was going to be with Daniel. They were going to be together, and totally happy, like before.

Like before…

Somewhere in her mind the voice of her mother didn't want to get her peace. "What are you doing, Regina? Stand up and get out of this apartment. Are you just going to die like you're nothing? I haven't raised my daughter to be a pathetic human being. Fight for yourself, Regina. Fight for yourself, come on, be strong, Regina!"

"I'm tired of being strong, mother. I'm tired of always trying to be the best. I'm tired of being miserable. Now I have a chance to be happy again, to not feel so empty. I have a chance to be with Daniel again. So leave me alone."

"I am your mother and I know what is best for you, Regina. Stop fooling around laying on this floor and show that the Mills family never give up, no matter the circumstances."

"Not this time, mother. Not this time..."

...

Sitting at the desk, waiting for the woman to finish with gathering her stuff, Henry's thoughts were roaming like a ball on a football playground. But yet, one specific one was standing out from the others.

"Aunty MM, what is a soulmate?" Henry asked curiously.

Mary Margaret who was pretty much used to any kind of questions that little toddlers had, was a little taken aback by this particular one. She thought for a few seconds, trying to decide what the best way to explain the meaning of this word to the 5 year old boy was. "Almost 6!" Henry's voice echoed in the woman's mind, bringing a smile to her face.

"A soulmate, Henry, is… A person with whom you have an immediate connection with, the moment you meet, a connection so strong that you are drawn to them in a way you have never experienced before… "

The little boy's face was pure seriousness, while he was absorbing the woman's words, "Aunty MM, I think that there is something wrong with me…"

"Why do you think that, Henry?" Mary Margaret asked worriedly, getting closer to the boy.

"Because, I think my soulmate is chocolate chip cookies…", Henry answered with a little pout, "Every time I see them I feel that kind of a connection…"

Mary Margaret exhaled loudly, barely keeping her laugh at bay. The cuteness of this little boy was endless. "No sweetie, there is nothing wrong with you, I feel that way about chocolate cake."

"Oh, really…" asked the boy excitedly "I like chocolate cake, too... but not as much as cookies"

"Yes, Henry, really…" the woman smiled, gently tousling the little boy's hair.

"I know which's momma's soulmate…" the toddler said quietly like it was a big secret.

"Really…" Mary Margaret whispered, looking over her shoulder to make sure that no one was there, "Do you want to share?"

The boy thought for a few seconds and then nodded waving with his hands for the woman to get closer to him. And when she did, he whispered the secret into her ear.

Mary Margaret couldn't hold it in this time and chuckled, but almost immediately so as not to offend the boy said "You're right, Henry. You're mother does have a strong connection with grilled cheese."

The toddler's face was lightened by a big proud smile. He was happy with himself.

"Come on, Henry, time to get home."

…..

A car exploded just when the firefighters got there. The whole building was on fire. It was like a giant burning beast.

"WOW!" exclaimed Graham getting out of the fire truck. "This is bad, bad, bad…"

"Let's go, let's go…", David shouted and started giving orders, "Graham, go to the roof and make an opening for the fire. Swan and Jones, you two to the top floor and work your way down. Hood, go to the ladder escape and tell us what we're looking at!"

"Keep moving people…" Jones said to the people who were coming out of the building, while he and Swan were forcing their way through it.

"Swan, go to the second floor, I'm going to check the first", the man said.

"Fire department! Is anybody here?" Jones shouted breaking the first door. He waited for a few seconds, scanning the place with his eyes quickly and went to the next door.

When he was at the last door of the floor, "Fire department! Is anybody here!", a child's scream came from the inside and Jones went for it. He found a little girl hiding under her parent's bed "Come on, kid. Everything will be alright, let's get you out of here!"

"Swan, how is it going with you?" he asked into the portable radio, while carrying the child.

"One more to go…" came the woman's voice.

"I found a little girl…" the man informed her, "I am going out."

"Kids need fresh air, coming right up!" the woman said moving to the last door. "Fire department! Is anybody here?"

The woman could barely see anything, the smoke was like a fog and the flames were everywhere. She tried again, asking if somebody was there, but the only sounds were cracking flames. Just when she was going to leave, something got her attention. A woman was lying on the floor.

"Jones!" she shouted into the radio "I found a woman here…"

Swan went into the apartment and saw that the woman's leg was under a shelf. Luckily for the firefighter the flames hadn't reached the shelf yet, so she managed to pull it off of the woman's leg and just when she was going to take the woman into her arms and get the hell out of the apartment, a burning rafter fell to the floor and blocked the front door.

"Shit!" the woman cursed under her breath, "Jones, little help here!" she said into the radio.

"Give me a minute, Swan!" came the man's voice.

But she didn't have time, another wave of flames came from behind the two women.

"Shit, shit, shit!" exclaimed the firefighter, "I don't have a minute, damn it!"

She pull off her gear coat (something that very much wasn't allowed) and while murmuring to herself "I hope you don't too weight much, lady!" she took the unconscious woman and haled her up on her shoulder. With her other hand she threw the gear coat over the rafter and with "It's now or never!" she jumped over the rafter and got out of the apartment.

"Swan, couldn't you just have waited like I told you to!" said Jones, who just got there.

"I never listen to you, Jones, you know that!" the woman chuckled, "Come on let's get out of here!"

The man just rolled his eyes and murmuring to himself "UGH, women!" followed his co-worker down the stairs to the exit of the building.

 **If you enjoy this story in any way at all, please leave a review and let me know :)**


	2. The time is not right

**Two days after the fire**

"Thank you again, Kath, for giving me a roof for the next few weeks", Regina said hoarsely, while getting more comfortable on the couch.

"You don't have to thank me, Regina", replied the woman with a little smile, "I told you that I am not going to let you out of my sight anytime soon!"

"I don't need a babysitter…" the brunette joked through a cough.

"Mhm…" Kathryn hummed, while preparing tea. Apparently the smoke had damaged her friend's throat and voice. Regina hadn't stopped coughing since the fire. Which was a great reminder that Regina might have died two days ago. "Explain again what happened?" Kathryn demanded with a very serious expression.

"I already told you, Kath…" Regina started struggling with her words. What's the best way to explain to your best friend that you wanted to be with your dead fiancé? That because of that you didn't try to save yourself from a burning building. "… I was just so focused on wanting to see Daniel, that I just… I… "

"That you just let yourself be almost cooked like a Thanksgiving chicken!" the blonde woman exclaimed in dismay.

"Don't be so melodramatic, Kathryn" Regina said with an apologetic note in her voice. She knew that her friend had every right to be this way, she cared about Regina and the brunette didn't ever want to see that deathly worried look on her friend's face ever again.

"So you're saying that while you were there, you saw Daniel?" Kathryn asked putting a cup of hot tea in front of Regina, "Drink that, it will help with your throat"

"Yes…" Regina murmured remembering the moment.

 _Flashback_

" _Leave me alone, mother!" Regina snapped, cutting off her mother's never ending_ _admonition_ _s, "I am going to be with Daniel."_

" _Regina…" a soft voice filled Regina's mind._

" _Daniel?" Regina asked surprised, "Daniel, is that you?"_

" _Yes, my love…"_

" _Daniel, I am coming… I am coming to be with you", Regina said with a smile._

" _No, Regina…"_

" _But I want to be with you…" the woman reasoned through tears, "I miss you so much, Daniel"_

" _I miss you too, my love, but the time is not right. Your time hasn't come yet."_

" _I am tired, I am tired of being miserable!" Regina screamed in desperation, "I… I want to be happy, happy with you"_

" _Your happiness is closer that you think, my love...But you have to fight, you have to get out of here, Regina…"_

" _Daniel…"_

" _Fight, Regina… Fight for yourself! You have so much love to give to the world. Find your happiness, my love, don't be afraid, I will always be near…"_

 _End of flashback_

"…and I tried, I tried to get away from there", Regina explained, tears rolling down her cheeks, "… but the smoke was too thick and I was feeling dizzy and then the shelf fell down and…"

In a second Kathryn's hands were around the brunette, giving her the comfort and safeness she needed, "It's okay, It's okay…" the woman was whispering, "You're safe, you're safe now…"

Kathryn hasn't seen Regina cry since the death of Daniel, four years ago, and seeing her friend now, so broken, her heart was clenching in pain for her. So she just tightened her embrace and let Regina cry out all of her fears.

…

"Momma!" Henry exclaimed from the counter when Emma entered Ruby's diner after finishing her night shift.

"Hey, munchkin!" Emma said with a big smile on her face. As her son got down and ran to her, she wrapped him into her arms and lifted him in the air, "How is my boy this morning?

"Good, momma." the boy said with a smile, "Aunty MM and I had breakfast."

"Was it a yummy one?" Emma asked kissing the boy's temple, while waving at Mary Margaret, who was sitting at the counter Henry had just vacated.

"Yessss…" he said through a giggle, "…very yummy, yummy one."

"Good, I am glad", Emma said giving the boy's tummy a little soft squeeze, making him giggle again.

"Hey munchkin, your hot cocoa is here!" Ruby said positioning a cup on the counter where Henry's seat was.

"Ruby, don't call me that!" the toddler said, while Emma was putting him on a chair.

"Why not?" asked Ruby with a little pout, "Your mom did it!"

"Yes, but she's my momma…" reasoned the little boy, "Only she can call me that. Right, momma!"

"That's right, munchkin." said Emma giving the boy high five, "Sorry, Rubes, only I have the claims on that one." the blonde continued sticking out her tongue at the brunette.

"Don't show me that tongue if you are not going to use it properly, Swan!" Ruby said with a flirtatious seriousness, making Emma laugh hard.

"What is the proper use of a tongue?" Henry asked curiously, totally oblivious to the hidden point in the statement.

"Yes, Rubes, what is it?" Emma asked mimicking the voice and expression of her son. Mary Margaret bit her lip, so she could stop herself from laughing out loud.

Ruby glared at Emma and turned her attention towards the boy, "It's for licking the delicious whipped cream from your cocoa, Hen."

"Oh, cool!" Henry exclaimed giving the new information a try by licking a little bit of the whipped cream from the cup, making the three women laugh.

"How was your shift, Emma?", Mary Margaret asked curiously, while Ruby was servicing a new client.

"It was pretty calm." the blonde explained, "I beat Jones a few times on Mario Kart…"

"Jones, hm?" Mary Margaret asked raising her eyes brows suggestively.

"Yes, MM, Jones…", the blonde said with a smirk.

"Is he still flirting? Mary Margaret asked like a total gossip girl.

Emma couldn't stop herself and chuckled at her, "Like always…"

"What is flirting?" the toddler asked, while trying to lick his moustache, cleaning the cocoa from his mouth.

"MM?" Emma said looking at the woman with a "Well now you handle that!" look on her face.

"Oh well…" the brunette stammered, "Flirting is… It is…"

"Look at Ruby, munchkin." Emma said pointing to the woman at the end of the counter, "Do you see how she smiles at that girl and how she now brushes her own hair behind her ear…"

"Yeah…" Henry whispered looking at the woman carefully, "She even winked at her, momma…"

"Yes.", Emma chuckled a little at Ruby's manners, "Well, that is what people call flirting, munchkin."

"Oh…" the little boy hummed, "Okay."

Both Emma and Mary Margaret laughed at the boy.

"I am going to eat something and then I will go to the foster home", Emma started looking at her friend, "It's a free day today for them, so I will see how they are and then I will meet you and Henry for lunch"

"Okay, Em." Mary Margaret said taking a look at her watch, "Come on, Henry, we don't want to be late for class."

"Coming, Aunty MM." the little man replied, jumping out of the chair.

"Be good, munchkin." Emma said giving the toddler a loving kiss on the cheek, "I will see you at noon."

"See you soon, momma…" the boy waved at his mother.

"Rubes…" said Emma getting the girl's attention, "Give me…"

"One grilled cheese coming right up, babe", said Ruby before Emma could have the chance to finish her own sentence. After all she was a regular and Ruby knew her cravings very well.

…..

"Maybe you should take a few days off, Regina." Kathryn suggested after her friend calmed down.

"You know I can't just lay around all day, doing nothing, Kath", the brunette replied. Just the thought of lying in bed all day gave her a headache.

"Well, okay then…" the blonde replied trying a different tactic, "You can come with me to the foster group home and help me a few hours a day."

"I… I don't know…"

"Come on, Regina, you will like it there" Kathryn said with such a sureness in her voice, "and you can distract yourself and also get some rest, because I have to tell you sister that you look kind of… awful"

"Ouch! Thanks, Kathryn", Regina replied trying to look offended by her friend's words, "I almost died two days ago, have some mercy on me."

"I will if you agree with me…" the woman said provocatively and waited for the brunette to make her decision.

"Okay, I will call Maleficent and tell her that I will take a little break from court", said Regina with a little smile.

"That's my girl!" the blonde exclaimed proudly.

Regina laughed at her friend, "Thanks, Kath…For everything…"

"My pleasure, hun…" Kathryn smiled warmly at her, "Now call Mal and then start getting ready, because we have to be at the foster group home in less than an hour."

"So bossy…" Regina joked, not moving at all.

"Maybe you will meet your new happiness there…" Kathryn suggested excitedly.

"God, Kath, you are such a romantic!" Regina said in mock annoyance.

"You used to be one too!" the blonde joked, without giving it a second thought of what she is saying.

"I know…" Regna said with a small smile in understanding. It was true after all, she was a romantic.

Kathryn smiled apologetically at her and again switched to the bossy mood. "Come one, chop chop…"

"Okay…okay…" Regina chuckled. God, what was she getting herself into?

 **At the foster care group home**

Regina was feeling so out of place. She didn't know how to approach the kids in the living room, so instead she decided to look around the house, she wasn't hiding, not at all. She just needed a little more time to get herself together. _Maybe a cup of water would help._ Just when she was about to enter the kitchen she saw a boy, around 7 or 8 years old, putting all different kind of food into his pants pockets. 

"Hey, bud…" a blonde woman greeted, startling the kid.

"H…hi…" said the boy shyly, trying to look like he wasn't totally caught.

The blonde took a look around the room and leaned against the kitchen counter, "I used to be just like you, you know…"

"What, an orphan?" the boy asked with hands still into his pockets.

"That too…" the blonde agreed with a whisper of a smile, "but also I used to hide as much food in my clothes as I could."

"Don't tell the old lady, please!" the boy said with voice full of desperation. It was obvious that he had some experience with stealing and the consequences of it.

"I won't, your secret is safe with me, bud." the blonde assured, "Actually, are you hungry, because I am starving…", she asked and without waiting for an answer she started pulling out stuff from a cabinet near her, "… I just came back from the grocery store, so I am thinking about a sandwich with some cheese in it…"

The boy's full attention was on her now, he was looking at the woman with big brown eyes full of suspiciousness.

"Maybe I should make two sandwiches and If I can't eat them, well I will just throw away what's left, right…", although the blonde was talking to herself, every word was directed towards the boy, "Or… if there was someone that could help me with eating the other sandwich…"

"I…" the kid was having a debate with himself, Regina could feel it. He was looking at the blonde, trying to decide if he could trust her and when the woman smiled at him warmly, eyes sparkling with sympathy and understatement, the boy had his answer, "I will help you with the other sandwich."

"You will?" the blonde said pleased and with gratitude, "Awesome! Thanks, bud!"

Regina was witnessing the whole scene, hidden by the corner. She was totally taken aback by the ability of this woman to help the child, without making him feel threatened. She knew that the boy must be hungry, no doubt, since he was putting all kinds of food into his clothes, but the way the blonde had handled the whole situation, like patiently waiting for him to make his own choices and not pushing him, it was truly… mesmerizing.

And then they were both sitting at the kitchen counter, eating sandwiches in total silence, like it was a part of a very secret magical ritual.

"I'm Emma, by the way…" the blonde woman said before having another bite of her sandwich.

"I'm Eric…" the kid murmured with a mouth full of food. Emma smiled at him and mimicked his full mouth.

 **If you enjoy this story in any way at all, please leave a review and let me know :)**


	3. The three musketeers

**Apologies for my slowness :/ Again a big thank you to Erin for editing my shits 3**

 _ **Ruby's diner**_

"Ems, please, stop walking in circles…" exclaimed Ruby from behind the counter, "you are going to wear a hole in my floor."

"Sorry, Rubes" Emma said sheepishly stopping her nervous walking.

"Is there something wrong?" asked the tall brunette worriedly, "How was it at the group home?"

"While I was at the group home…" started Emma, sitting in one of the chairs at the counter, "there was a little boy who reminded me of myself…"

"What do you mean?" Ruby asked softly crossing her arms and shoring them up on the counter.

"I was just like him when I was his age, hiding as much food as I could in my pockets, because I wasn't sure when would be the next time I would have the chance to eat. And he is just a little boy" Emma paused for a second, closing her eyes while exhaling a long breath and freeing her fingers from the fists they had formed "I just wish I could do more for these kids, you know"

"Emma…" the brunette said gently waiting for the blonde to look at her and when she finally did, Ruby noticed the hidden desperation behind the determined look Emma was giving her, "You are doing as much as you can."

"No." the blonde stated firmly, "I feel like I can do more, so much more. They need a reconstruction to the house and if I can somehow find the money…"

"Always the savior…" Ruby remarked off hand, trying to lighten the mood, earning a glare from the blonde.

"Shut up."

"You have "The savior syndrome", you know that, right babes?" the brunette said with a sympathetic smile, pulling a little chuckle from the other woman.

"Tell you what, I will think of a way to gather some money, like charity cupcakes, or coffee, or something like that…" Ruby explained with a serious expression, "When I figure it out I will let you know, okay?"

"Thanks, Rubes." Emma said, a beam of hope lightening her whole face, "You are the best!", the blonde exclaimed reaching through the counter and kissing the other woman on the cheek.

"Never doubt that, savior!" the following flirtatious wink made Emma laugh.

…

 _ **Ruby's diner**_

Emma was sitting at her usual, for Henry "special", spot on the counter and drinking some hot cocoa, her mind was occupied with thoughts about her childhood and how she could help the kids from the group home, when the voice of her favorite person in the world brought her back to reality.

"Momma!" Henry shouted, entering the dinner.

"Hey, munchkin!" Emma exclaimed with the same enthusiasm as her son, getting up and opening her arms for the toddler. Henry didn't hesitate even for a second and jumped up to his mother's neck, giving her a sloppy kiss on the cheek. The blonde spun them around quickly, getting a cute little giggle from the boy.

"Where is Mary Margaret, munchkin?" Emma asked after she put him down.

"She is outside talking to David." the toddler explained pointing at the door with his finger.

"Oh, is she?" the blonde said with a smirk, taking a step towards the diner's window, "Come on, munchkin, let's take a look." She whispered, knowing that that way her boy would think it's a game and will play along.

"Who are we spying on?" Ruby's voice came behind them.

"Aunty MM and David." Henry whispered, putting his finger to his lips in a silent plea.

"God, these two are like turtles!" snorted the brunette looking through the window, missing the surprised expression on the little boy's face, "Have they been on a date, already?"

"I think you can answer that for yourself, Rubes" Emma rolled her eyes at both her friend's question and her other friend's shyness and blindness.

"Ugh, we need to do something, Ems!" Ruby murmured, stamping her leg on the floor like annoyed five years old.

"Yes we do…" the blonde agreed, a devil smile crossing her face, "…and I think I know just what."

"Ruby…" said the toddler with a serious expression, interrupting the two women, "How come aunty MM and David are turtles?"

The tall brunette looked at the boy a little confused at first, but then she remembered her statement and explained with a smile, "Because these two…" pointing at the two people outside the dinner, "are very slow at showing their feelings to each other, Hen."

Henry was looking between Ruby and the window, trying to process the new information. A few seconds later with a sad pout he said, "Oh, so… they are not like the teenage mutant ninja turtles?"

Ruby suppressed her laugh at the boy's obvious disappointment, "No, Henry… They are definitely not that cool."

"Aunty MM is cool!" the boy defended, "She is one of the turtles, but I don't know about David… Is he cool, momma?"

Emma who was watching the whole interaction of her son and her friend with a hand on her mouth, trying desperately not to lose any noises indicating how funny and cute she found the whole conversation, pulled herself together and said, "He is very cool, munchkin. You should include him in your…" Emma bend over a little, closing the distance between herself and Henry and whispered so only he could hear "secret mutant ninja turtles team."

The boy's eyes lighten up like fireworks for the 4th of July and with a huge smile he started thinking about the best character option for David forgetting about Emma and Ruby entirely. Both women chuckled at the toddles cuteness.

"Rubes…" Emma said getting the brunette's attention, "I have a perfect plan for these young love birds…" and whispering her idea into the other woman's ear.

"Emma Swan, I knew there was a reason I liked you!" joked Ruby happily.

"I am such a matchmaker!" the blonde beamed proudly, making the other woman laugh.

"What is a matchmaker, momma?" apparently Henry's attention was back on them.

"Oh, well…that's…" Emma struggled for a second, "You are still too young for that word, munchkin."

Henry pouted, but then asked curiously, "Like that time when I wanted to pull the hair away from my eyebrows just like you do it?"

 _ **Flashback**_

"Henry, what are you doing?" Emma asked curiously, standing in front of the bathroom door.

The boy was standing on his little chair, that he normally used to stand on while he was brushing his teeth, with Emma's tweezers in his hand.

"I wanna do the thing that you do with this" the boy explained, pointing at the tweezers to make his point clear.

With only two steps Emma was behind her son looking at him totally horrified and thanking all the saints in her mind that she got there on time, before he could hurt himself.

"Munchkin, you don't need to do that" the blonde started with a soft voice, trying to reason him, "your eyebrows are perfect"

"Your are too, momma!" said the boy with a smile.

"It's "Yours", munchkin." she corrected him gently and after he repeated his statement, this time correctly he asked suspiciously, "Why you do it then?"

Emma bit her lip to suppress a laugh. This boy's cuteness was endless, "Because, munchkin, your mother is a bit old and with age people's hair need more… taking care of. It's like the haircuts miss Bibby is giving you. But your mother needs hair cutting in other places too… And my eyebrows are perfect only because I help them be by using this pair of tweezers" just when the toddler was going to say something Emma continued, "but you are young and your eyebrows are perfect without you helping them." The boy was silent for a few seconds considering his mother's words.

"Okay…" Henry exclaimed jumping to the floor, "I will go play with my turtles"

"Thank God!" Emma sighed relieved.

 _ **End of flashback**_

"Yes, munchkin, just like that time." Emma said sweetly, but firmly. She looked at Ruby, who was standing there with a confused expression, "Don't ask, Rubes. Just don't ask."

….

 _ **Regina's office**_

Before Regina could enjoy her little vacation she had to rearrange all her cases and for that she needed her colleagues.

"So you are homeless right now?" Ursula asked with a soft apologetic voice.

"Not exactly…" said Regina while ordering the documents on her desk, "I am staying at Kathryn's for a while."

"Enlighten me, darling..." came the deep voice of another of Regina's colleagues, "why with your bank account full of money, you decided to stay at you're… a bit poor, if I must add, friend's apartment."

Because I didn't want to be alone, Regina thought. But the answer she was going to give to the woman was miles away from that statement.

"How insensitive of you, Cru!" Ursula exclaimed, interrupting Regina.

Raising her perfectly done eyebrows in surprise, the dark haired woman purred, "Darling, you know that sensitivity is not a quality of mine."

"Well, you should definitely start working on building one, then." Ursula said with a wink, pulling a mischief smile from her girlfriend.

"You two do not start with your perverted mushiness again!" came Maleficent's voice from the front door.

"What's the matter, darling?" Cruella laughed devilishly, "Are you jealous?"

"Of you?" Maleficent said rhetorically with an emotionless face, "If I wanted your girlfriend I could have her with a blink of an eye."

"Hey!" exclaimed Ursula offended, "I'm right here you know."

"She has a beast here." Cruella said pointing at herself, "She doesn't need a dragon puppy."

"Do you want to bet?" the blonde challenged with sparkling eyes.

"Oh God, I had forgotten what is like being around you all! Regina interrupted with a serious voice, but the corners of her mouth were giving away her actual mood.

The tension melted in a split second broken by everyone's joined laugh.

"Missed us much, Regina?" Ursula asked through a laugh.

"Was that a rhetorical question, darling?" Cruella sassed her girlfriend.

"Well, I am a queen and I am a little more refine…" Regina started while gathering the last documents she needed, "… but yes, I do missed you." The three women looked very pleased with the brunette's answer.

"Okay," the brunette said giving each woman a different folder of documents, "all the information you need is in these files, if there is a problem just call me."

"Don't worry, dear." Mal said looking through the files in her hands, "We are well aware, how to sue."

"I don't doubt that, Maleficent." Regina assured her with a little smile, "If you weren't we wouldn't be working together."

"The world won't collapse without you being here, Regina." Ursula murmured seriously, "Don't worry!"

"Yes, darling…" Cruella agreed with a smirk, "We are the Queens of law, we can function without out our fourth musketeer for a few weeks."

"Musketeer?" Regina asked with a comical expression.

"We watched "The four musketeers" yesterday." Cruela explained suppressing her laugh because of her girlfriend's cuteness.

"So, I am your d'Artagnan then?" the brunette asked looking at Cruella with an amused grin.

"Don't flatter yourself, darling!" Cruella murmured, her cheeks getting a bit warmer, "It was just an expression."

"Of course…", Regina agreed knowing that the other woman was without a doubt experiencing a bit of an embarrassment at the moment. "Well, I must go…", she said going towards the door, "Wish you all a great day and…", she stopped half out of the door and extended her hand which was holding a pencil and said with a dead serious face, "One for all and all for one!" making Ursula and Maleficent to burst into laugh and leaving Cruella pissed off.

Behind all of their sassiness though, remained hidden the worry the three ladies had for Regina. For an outside viewer it might seems like they were heartless bitches, but Regina knew better. She didn't need their compassion or their pity and they knew that very well and she was grateful for their attitude.

"Ugh, I hate that imp." Cruella cursed through a smile.

….

 _ **Emma's home at night**_

"What was today's subject in school, munchkin?" Emma asked while rubbing the boy's back with a sponge.

"What we wanna be when we grow up?" the toddler answered splashing some water out of the bath-tub with his feet.

"Oh and what did you say?" the blonde asked curiously, "Oh, oh, no wait… let me guess… You want to be a…"

"I wanna be a ninja turtle!" Henry exclaimed happily, showing his mother the ninja turtle that he was holding in his hand.

"Hah, right, why am I not surprised by that." the blonde said through a chuckle.

"What you wanted to be, momma?" Henry asked catching Emma totally off guard.

"I…" Emma struggled. The only thing she wanted to be when she was a child was to be older, to be a grown up, so she could make her own decisions about her life. But that was definitely not an answer for a five years old. But Emma didn't want to lie to her son either. "I… I don't remember, munchkin. Your mom is kind of too old to remember that stuff." she said forcing a smile at her son who was looking at her with a serious face.

"Are you sad, momma?", the toddler asked in a whisper, like he was afraid that the answer to his question will be "yes".

"No, munchkin! Emma denied immediately poking his tummy to make him laugh and to dissipate the almost invisible line of concern covering his little temple, "How can I be sad when I am with my favorite person in the world!"

"I am your favorite person, really?" Henry shouted and a big smile crossed his face showing all his teeth, "You are my favorite person in the world too, momma!"

"Really!" Emma beamed with joy and the toddler only nodded excitedly, "Well, in that case we can never be sad when we are with each other, munchkin."

"Look, momma, my fingers are all covered in little waves…" the boy pushed his whole hand into his mother's face to show her.

"Yep, your fingers are all wrinkled, Henry." the blonde said sweetly, getting a towel, "It's time to get you out of the tub."

"My ninja turtles, momma… my ninja turtles!" Henry started to gather all of his toys ignoring his mother and the tower that she was holding for him.

"God, sometimes I have a feeling you love them more than me." Emma murmured to herself.

"Love you, momma!" the little boy said looking at the blonde with a big smile.

"I love you too, munchkin."

 **If you enjoy this story in any way at all, please leave a review and let me know :)**


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